Support to Non-Self-Governing Territories by the specialized agencies and international institutions associated with the United Nations

by the Economic and Social Council, United Nations

ECOSOC Resolution 2007/25

Support to Non-Self-Governing Territories by the specialized agencies and international institutions associated with the United Nations

The Economic and Social Council,

Having examined the report of the Secretary General^[1] and the report of the President of the Economic and Social Council containing the information submitted by the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system on their activities with regard to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,^[2]

Having heard the statement by the representative of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,^[3]

Recalling General Assembly reso lutions 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 and 1541 (XV) of 15 December 1960, the resolutions of the Special Committee and other relevant resolutions and decisions, including, in particular, Economic and Social Council resolution 2006/37 of 27 July 2006,

Bearing in mind the relevant provisions of the final documents of the successive Conferences of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries and of the resolutions adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, the Pacific Islands Forum and the Caribbean Community,

Conscious of the need to facilitate the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,^[4]

Welcoming the current participation, in their capacity as observers, of those Non -Self-Governing Territories that are associate members of the regional commissions in the world conferences in the economic and social sphere, subject to the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and decisions, including resolutions and decisions of the Assembly and the Special Committee on specific Non-Self-Governing Territories,

Noting that only some specialized agencies and organizations of the United Nations system have been involved in providing assistance to Non Self-Governing Territories,

Welcoming the assistance extended to Non -Self-Governing Territories by certain specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Development Programme.

Stressing that, because the development options of the small island Non Self-Governing Territories are limited, they face special challenges in planning for and implementing sustainable development, and that they will be constrained in meeting those challenges without the continuing cooperation and assistance of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system,

Stressing also the importance of securing the necessary resources for funding expanded programmes of assistance for the peoples concerned and the need to enlist the support of all the major funding institutions within the United Nations system in that regard,

Reaffirming the mandates of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the Unit ed Nations system to take all appropriate measures, within their respective spheres of competence, to ensure the full implementation of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions,

Expressing its appreciation to the African Union, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Caribbean Community and other regional organizations for the continued cooperation and assistance they have extended to the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in this regard,

Expressing its conviction that closer contacts and consultations between and among the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and regional organizations help to facilitate the effective formulation of programmes of assistance for the peoples concerned,

Mindful of the imperative need to keep under continuous review the activities of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in the implementation of the various United Nations decisions relating to decolonization,

Bearing in mind the extremely fragile economies of the small island Non-Self-Governing Territories and their vulnerability to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, cyclones and sea -level rise, and recalling the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 61/231 of 22 December 2006, entitled “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations”,

1. Takes note of the report of the President of the Economic and Social Council,^[5] and endorses the observations and suggestions arising therefrom;
2. Also takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;^[6]
3. Recommends that all States intensify their efforts within the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system of which they are members to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations;
4. Reaffirms that the specialized agencies and other organizations and institutions of the United Nations system should continue to be guided by the relevant resolutions of the United Nations in their efforts to contribute to the implementation of the Declaration and all other relevant General Assembly resolutions;
5. Also reaffirms that the recognition by the General Assembly, the Security Council and other United Nations organs of the legitimacy of the aspirations of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to exercise their right to self-determination entails, as a corollary, the extension of all appropriate assistance to those peoples;
6. Expresses its appreciation to those specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system that have continued to cooperate with the United Nations and the regional and subregional organizations in the implementation of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations, and requests all of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to implement the relevant provisions of those resolutions;
7. Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and international and regional organizations to examine and review conditions in each Non -Self-Governing Territory so that they may take appropriate measures to accelerate progress in the economic and social sectors of those Territories;
8. Urges those specialized agencies and organizations of the United Nations system that have not yet provided assistance to Non-Self-Governing Territories to do so as soon as possible;
9. Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and regional organizations to strengthen existing measures of support and to formulate appropriate programmes of assistance to the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, within the framework of their respective mandates, in order to accelerate progress in the economic and social sectors of those Territories;
10. Recommends that the executive heads of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system formulate, with the active cooperation of the regional organizations concerned, concrete proposals for the full implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and submit those proposals to their governing and legislative organs;
11. Also recommends that the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system continue to review, at the regular meetings of their governing bodies, the implementation of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations;
12. Welcomes the preparation by the Department of Public Information and the Department of Political Affairs of the Secretariat, in consultation with the United Nations Development Programme, the specialized agencies and the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, of an informational leaflet on assistance programmes available to the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and requests that it be disseminated as widely as possible;
13. Also welcomes the continuing efforts made by the United Nations Development Programme in maintaining a close liaison between the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and in providing assistance to the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories;
14. Encourages the Non-Self-Governing Territories to take steps to establish and/or strengthen disaster preparedness and management institutions and policies;
15. Requests the administering Powers concerned to facilitate, when appropriate, the participation of appointed and elected representatives of Non-Self-Governing Territories in the relevant meetings and conferences of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in accordance with relevant United Nat ions resolutions and decisions, including the resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly and the Special Committee, on specific Territories, so that they may benefit from the related activities of those agencies and organizations;
16. Recommends that all Governments intensify their efforts within the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system of which they are members to accord priority to the question of providing assistance to the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories;
17. Draws the attention of the Special Committee to the present resolution and to the discussion held on the subject at the substantive session of 2007 of the Economic and Social Council;
18. Recalls the adoption by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean of its resolution 574 (XXVII) of 16 May 1998,^[7] in which the Commission called for the necessary mechanisms for its associate members, including the Non-Self-Governing Territories, to participate in the special sessions of the General Assembly, subject to the rules of procedure of the Assembly, convened to review and assess the implementation of the plans of action of those United Nations world conferences in which the Territories had originally participated in their capacity as observers, and in the work of the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies;
19. Requests the President of the Economic and Social Council to continue to maintain close contact on these matters with the Chairman of the Special Committee and to report thereon to the Council;
20. Requests the Secretary -General to follow up on the implementation of the present resolution, paying particular attention to cooperation and integration arrangements for maximizing the efficiency of the assistance activities undertaken by various organizations of the United Nations system, and to report thereon to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2008;
21. Decides to keep the above questions under continuous review.

46th plenary meeting
26 July 2007

1. A/62/65.
2. E/2007/47.
3. See E/2007/39.
4. General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV).
5. 5 E/2007/47.
6. A/62/65.
7. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1998, Supplement No. 21 (E/1998/41), chap. III, sect. G.